So, I arrived a while ago...

I meant to start this right before I left including anticipatory feelings and such. Well, I procrastinate a lot and to say the least, that didn't happen. But, I will start from the beginning. I am studying for just shy of four months at the American University of Rome... in Rome, Italy of course. I left early morning from Traverse City on Monday, January 25, 2010. I took a short flight to Chicago where I then proceeded to wait... for four hours. My next flight directly to Rome Fiumicino was slightly delayed, very empty, and had a ton of turbulence. It left around 4PM Chicago time, which was 5PM Michigan time and then got in at about 8:30am Rome time, which was 2:30am Michigan time. I went through passport control and "customs." I swear every country I've flown into aside from the US could care a less what you bring in. There is an option to go claim stuff, or you can just walk through the other doors, no questions asked. I was then greeted with people from AUR and led to a mass of people. Most of which are from Maryland. The majority of people studying abroad at AUR are from Maryland. It's crazy. More on that later though... or probably not, since who really cares about Maryland. I'm sick of hearing about it already. jk.

We then were taken to our apartments. I live with 5 other girls (well now basically 4... long story) 3 others from State and 2 from Maryland. Our apartment is huge. My bedroom is larger than my extended double was last semester. We learned things about it where to find helpful places near by ie: the market, the farmacia, the tabacchi. We went to have out first pizza in Rome. Definitely more to explain about the food later on. And the rest was a blur of unpacking and napping and jet lag.

Everything else that unravels from here ties into the larger picture of different cultures and being culture shocked, not in a bad way though. In an eye opening good way. A way that not only opened my eyes to things about Italian culture or my own American culture, but to the whole thought and idea of cultures in general.

Ciao.